Simple and catchy fun - 85%

Sometimes you just want to kick back and jam to some old 80s heavy metal, and this would be the ideal single to do it to. Iron Maiden were just getting started with this, and they still played their punkish, gritty style of NWOBHM that was just beginning to get them into the public eye around the late 70s. Paul Di'Anno was still at the helm, and I like his voice more every time I hear it, what with his punkish, street-smart attitude and gruff voice. The band followed suit, playing a rougher style of music then they would when Dickinson took the helm and the world by storm.

The first song here is the title track, arguably the simplest song on their debut. It kicks off with a galloping drum beat before the riff kicks in, and it's a catchy little rocker all the way through. The chorus isn't complex in the least, but it was the 70s, and you just needed to be able to sing along. It tells a tale of rebellious youth, the freedom of being young and alive, and of being left to 'run free.' The basslines are jumpy and energetic, and the guitar trills are confident in their runs through this rather short song.

Then we get "Burning Ambition", which has never been seen again after this little single. It's even shorter than the first track, and more laid back, but not a ballad by any means. Lyrically, it seems to be a contemptuous song, venting anger at a mysterious woman who seems to have done Di'Anno wrong. Definetly a 70s rocker, it cruises by with an extremely catchy chorus that never comes out of my head, and some rather energetic drum beats, along with the nostalgic, homegrown guitar lines.

The cover is just a classic piece of Maiden history, depicting a young man, well, running free. And likewise, this is a classic piece of metal history if you are sitting there holding it in your hands (which I am sadly not). It's a noticable sign of what Maiden would become with their first two albums, and well worth a short listen. Recommended to Maiden diehards.